Nuggets deal Ty Lawson to Houston Rockets

The Rockets reached agreement to acquire point guard Ty Lawson, left, from Denver for guard Nick Johnson, forward Kostas Papanikolaou, guard Pablo Prignioni and center Joey Dorsey, along with a protected first-round pick. His trade value was clearly at an all-time low, as Houston was able to pick him up for a bunch of spare parts, seemingly fleecing a Denver team desperate to get rid of him.

If the Rockets want to be a contender for the National Basteball Association Championship next season, Lawson could be the guy to help get them there.

On its face, the deal seems to work for both teams. During the playoffs, Prigioni proved that he can be a very valuable asset while playing well as a backup point guard with solid shooting abilities. But Ty Lawson, who is one of the NBA’s smartest decision-makers in the heat of the moment, has a choice, and so he has a chance.

Lawson has become more expendable with each passing summer league game, in which Emmanuel Mudiay is showing he does have what it takes to be a star player in the National Basteball Association. Lawson was a mess in Denver, showing up late to practice, not being motivated, and being the opposite of a leader.

The Rockets struggled to get their machine going and had to improvise.

Turns out that Vince Ellis was right all along.

The Rockets won’t be the Western Conference favorites heading into next season, but they’re certainly going to be in the same room with the Spurs, Warriors, Thunder and Clippers heading into next season. There were talks of a Lawson trade with the Sacramento Kings after the Nuggets hired new coach Michael Malone.

The Pistons on the other hand could be preparing for a Brandon Jennings departure once a suitor shows interest. It’s about developing young players, and identity and losing a lot. By shuttling off their best player to an elite team, the power balance in the West (and the league in general) continues to skew.